Dark Shadows: I'll Be Home for Christmas
by IBarnabas
Summary: In 1988, the town of Collinsport is getting ready for the tri-centennial celebration of its founding family. WILLIE LOOMIS, now married and ship captain in the Collins fleet, is about to embark on one more adventure after receiving a cryptic warning from a stranger who has drifted into town. Now a marked man, Willie must return one last time to a life he left behind to survive...
1. Chapter 1

A/N

** _This story follows the continuity and makes a couple of references to Sam Hall's article in a 1971 TV GUIDE issue titled, "Here's What Really Happened to Barnabas & Co.". Although most of it will not be mentioned throughout the story, there are a few references made here and there. It's not necessary to read it to understand the story, but if you would like to read it, check it out! Interesting to see the direction it was going to take.**_

 **ACT I**

A chilly autumn wind blew across Willie's face as he emerged from the cabin of his own fishing boat. He put his hands deeply in his jacket pockets and walked from the stern up to the dock. He stood back and looked along the pier at the overcast sky. It was nearly Thanksgiving in Collinsport, and the smell of cold sea air mixed with the crispness of autumn lay heavily over the town. This was the time of year when all of the ship owners who worked for the Collins family would work from sunrise to sunset to prepare for the "Grand Collins Family Christmas Celebration", complete with the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in the town square and the entire waterfront of town. This was going to be the biggest year ever as this was the 300th anniversary of the Collins Fishing Fleet and Cannery. Willie had been hard at work since sunrise, and he decided to take a break and grab a bite to eat.

The ringing of bells and chimes echoed throughout the town, and the sounds of crowds talking and cars honking in the streets could be heard loudly in the background. The holiday season had definitely arrived in Collinsport, and Willie could definitely feel it in the chilly air as he walked along the docks.

He sat down on an old wooden bench close to the pier, but far enough from all of the noise of all of the workers getting the Collins family fleet in immaculate condition for the annual Christmas lighting display in Collinsport. They would all stop and take breaks for awhile, but his fellow captains had a signal to warn each other when the apprentice fleet manager, David Collins, would come by to check on their progress. Part of this year's memo was a mandatory Christmas carol sing-a-long by all crew members to get all of the townsfolk in the holiday spirit, but it only seemed to happen whenever David came near. Willie spent most of his time listening to a little stereo called a _Walkman_ that his wife, Roxanne, had gotten him for a birthday present. He kept the headphones around his neck so that he could hear football games being played but also listen for a random burst of "Jingle Bells" or other Christmas carols.

Willie had been in the employ of the Collins family as a ship captain for the last 15 years. After Barnabas moved to Singapore and Julia went to stay with him, Willie had to find another way to make a living. Knowing that he had no chance of being hired on as long as Roger Collins was in the picture, Barnabas made a recommendation for Willie to Elizabeth, who was still working and very active as the family matriarch. Barnabas left Willie enough money to buy a somewhat modern boat so that he could begin a new path for himself and learn a life of responsibility.

For the last twelve of those fifteen years, he had been happily married to Roxanne Drew, a ginger-haired and cheerful young woman. She and Willie had been trying for years to have a family, but they were unsuccessful. Rather than ask for a special handout from the Collins family, the two of them decided to work together and save every penny on their own so that they would be able to adopt children and live in an appropriate family-sized home. Willie worked long hours for the Collins cannery as a captain of his own small fishing boat, and Roxanne worked part-time at the Collinsport Coffee Shop as a waitress and at home as a seamstress. Their hard work was paying off slowly but surely, but they still had years of saving to do. It seemed as though just when they were getting ahead, something would happen such as a vehicle or home repair that would set them back just a little. Willie and Roxanne stayed determined, however, and one day they would have their own family. Willie knew that, as he often told his wife, a lucky break will come "with Willie and Roxy's names written all over it."

He opened up his lunch pail and found a roast beef sandwich on rye wrapped in aluminum foil and a little heart-shaped note inside.

" _Switched your hamburger with this. Can't sing your heart out if it's all full of grease and mayo! Will bring home a double with the works for both of us when we get home tonight. Sing loud for me, Silly Willie! I'll be listening for you. —Love, Roxy"_

Willie smiled and tucked the note inside of his jacket pocket. He was almost finished with his lunch, and he noticed a man in a long black trench coat and fedora hat trudging along the dock. He kept looking at Willie's boat, and then talking to some of the crew members working on the docks. Not knowing to engage the man or leave him be, he sat still and watched him as he went from person to person, and then back and forth to his boat. Something was definitely amiss. Finally, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Joe Haskell making his way toward the man. His cover would probably be blown now. Most of the sailors and captains would cover for each other, but Joe was always too honest and did his best to avoid confrontation since his own psyche had been completely broken apart upon his entrance to Windcliff Sanitarium.

Willie's attempt to stand up to vanish inconspicuously failed as Joe Haskell made direct eye contact with him and pointed in his direction. Willie turned his back and gathered up his things to try and walk away casually and ignore the man. In his mind's eye, he could see and feel the man in black coming toward him.

"Your name Loomis, mister?" said the man in a deep voice. Willie answered nothing and fastened his lunch pail shut, trying to ignore the man. Willie had become more sociable since Barnabas had gone away, but he was quick to avoid anyone he thought was trouble. Walking away and not looking back, Willie pressed forward to walk away in any direction, just as long as it was away..

"You know that by not saying anything you're telling me all I need to know, right, Loomis?"

Annoyed, Willie stopped and turned to face the stranger in black. Quickly sizing him up, the man stood slightly taller than he did, and he had a stereotype gumshoe look complete with the loose tie and scruffy, unshaven face. Willie paused for a moment and did his best to hold his composure.

"Alright, ya found me. If you're lookin' for somebody, I ain't the guy, okay? Now just turn around and go do whatever it is you gotta do and leave me out of it, okay?" With a quick turn, Willie walked away as quickly as he could. The man in black side-stepped and circled around in front of Willie, stopping him in his tracks.

"Mr Loomis, I don't need anything from you. Here...", Reaching inside his long black coat and pulling out an aged, yellowed envelope bound with string, the man continued. "I was sent to give you this and deliver a message. Tonight at 8:00, a man named Captain Clarney will be waiting for you at the Blue Whale. He says your life depends on it."

Willie stood completely still and looked down at the envelope, but he refused to take it. "I don't care 'bout who you are or what you say. Nobody controls me no more, so why doncha just get outta here before somebody gets 'imself hurt, huh, Mac?"

Unphased by Willie's boldness, the man never broke eye contact with him and dropped the envelope on the ground. "Anything you say. I couldn't care less what happens to you. I'm just here doing a job. Whether you open the envelope or not means nothing to me. I did my job, and I'm going to collect my pay." The man tipped his hat to Willie. "Say hello to your wife for me."

Willie felt a hot rush of anger suddenly wash over him, and the man in black was thrown instantly against the closest wall that Willie could slam him into. The stranger winced in pain, but he kept eye contact with Willie. Drawing his fist back, Willie swung with all of his might and knocked the man to the ground. He leaned over to pick him up and knock him all the way into Logan's port with the next hit, but he was soon interrupted by a loud, collective bellowing:

" _I saw three ships on Christmas day, on Christmas day, on Christmas day. I saw three ships on_

 _Christmas day, on Christmas day in the morning! On Christmas day in the morning!"_

He knew that the Collins family members had to be coming, and that song was a code that meant that all three of them were on their way. David with his wife Hallie Stokes-Collins and Elizabeth Stoddard had to be mere seconds away.

With a hard shove, Willie pushed the man away and snapped, "Get outta here!" Before the man in black collected himself and walked casually away, he knew that his nonchalant pace would probably making Willie even more angry. Willie hurried and picked up the envelope before the sea breeze blew it over the pier and into the water below.

Stuffing the envelope into his pocket, he walked down the pier back toward his fishing boat as fast as he could to stay ahead of the mighty Collins trio who were making their rounds. He did his absolute best to appear busy. Of course, he had to join in with the other members of the fleet and pretend that all was well. He had been working hard all week, and his ship looked very fine and well-taken care of. When the three monuments of the Collins family walked by him, they said nothing and gave him a slight nod of the head in approval of his work.

After the three had passed him by, Willie slipped away into the boat's cabin and pulled out the envelope. He loosened the string holding the envelope shut and turned it over on its side. He could feel something rattling inside, and so he shook whatever it was down into his hand. Staring in bewilderment, Willie gazed down at the tiny, off-white cardboard square he was holding inside his hand.

This cardboard was deeply stained around the corners with age. Other stains and smears were scattered across this piece of cardboard, but none so obvious as the one on the opposite side—a large black ink spot. Willie's stomach grew sick when he saw this. Being a man of the sea for so many years, Willie knew exactly what this was a sign of: _Final judgement. By death_.

His hands shaking furiously while stuffing the black spot into his coat, Willie leaned forward as he sat, rocking back and forth nervously with his thoughts racing. What would happen to him if he went to the Blue Whale? Who was Captain Clarney? Was he the one who was meant to carry out his death? Who would send him the black spot? Why? He hadn't been out to sea since he had settled in Collinsport nearly twenty years ago. Should he take a chance and go to the Blue Whale, or should he just ignore it all?

Maybe this was some kind of trick that Haskell or someone was playing on him. Somehow, though, Willie's gut was telling him that this was for real. Searching everyway possible to rationalize reasons for staying away, Willie came to the conclusion that, if he didn't go to the Blue Whale to meet Captian Clarney, the one or ones who delivered this to him would come to him... _and Roxanne_.

Willie looked at his watch and saw the time was only 4:30pm. Minutes suddenly seemed like hours, and he could no longer concentrate on what he was doing. He kept thinking of what he was going to do and tell Roxanne and rehearsed what he was going to say, "Honey, I might not come home tonight. I don't know if I'm gonna be killed or not, and it's too dangerous to spend my last moments with ya b'cause whoever's here might try to kill you, too. Maybe it's just best if ya forget about me. But I might be okay. I might be away and nothin' happen. But will they be waitin' for me to be home with you? Wanna run away with me?" Each explanation sounded worse than the previous, and he felt like he was getting nowhere. Before he knew it, the sun had set, and it was now 7:30pm.

He knew that Roxanne would be closing up the coffee shop at 8:00pm, and so the time had come for Willie to call her. Whatever was the first thing that came to his mind, that's what he was going to say. He put a quarter in the payphone and called the coffee shop. Sure enough, he heard Roxanne's voice on the other side.

"H..hey, hey Roxy, it's Willie. H..how ya doin' sweetheart? How's your day been?" Even though he felt that his heart was ready to beat out of his chest, he still couldn't hold back a smile when hearing her voice.

Willie paused and took a deep breath, and he told Roxanne the first thing he thought of. "Listen, honey, they're makin' us stay a little later tonight than usual, it bein' the big anniversary year 'n' all. They're sendin' us to the Blue Whale for a quick dinner and coffee and then we're headed back to work for a little while longer. I'm on my way now, and then I have to be back here as soon as we're done eatin' and the cup of coffee is gone. I'm really sorry honey. Ya don't know how bad I've missed you, Roxy. I promise I'll be home as soon as I can, okay? I promise I'll save some room for that special burger you're bringin' home for us."

Reluctantly agreeing with him, Roxanne and Willie said goodbye and exchanged their sentiments before hanging up the phone. Willie sighed and hung his head. This was the first time he was ever dishonest with Roxy. He promised to always tell her everything, but this was the first time that doing so could possibly put her life in danger. At least this way, he knew she was safe for the time being. He hung his head and held his coat together as he left the pier and walked toward the Blue Whale.

Sticking to his face as he walked the streets of Collinsport, a light dusting of snow began to fall and blanket over the ground. When he neared the Blue Whale, he could see the swirling lights against the walls and a poorly hung set of worn Christmas wreaths with less than half of the blinking lights working on them. The cold wind blew his hair and made him sink inside the warmth of his coat as he crossed the alley that led to the welcome mat in front of the Blue Whale's front entrance. Pausing with his hand on the door, he swallowed hard and turned the knob and to quietly slip in.

**I do not own the rights to DARK SHADOWS. My story based on characters and the tv show created by Dan Curtis is solely meant for the enjoyment of the reader**

**"I Saw Three Ships" is a traditional Christmas carol; "Jingle Bells" was written and composed by James Pierpont**


	2. Chapter 2

ACT II

The old, splintered door creaked loudly as Willie budged it open and stepped inside. To his surprise, the same music that used to play all the time when he first arrived in Collinsport nearly twenty years ago was still playing inside. It had been a long time since Willie had set foot in the Blue Whale, and most of the music that played now was 1980s pop songs.

Bob Sr. had retired several years ago, but his son, Bob Rooney, Jr., had taken over the business. Although some things had changed over time, this had always been the same joint that most everyone in Collinsport loved to go to. Because of this, Rooney Jr. introduced some new music to the old jukebox, but made sure to leave the same music so that he wouldn't alienate his long-time customers.

Willie sat at one of the two-seat tables by the door. He wanted to be ready to leave in a hurry should the situation call for it. Across the dining area, Willie saw a table in the corner occupied by half a dozen men in some tattered clothes. They each had a mug in front of them filled with Bob Sr.'s Blue Whale classic on tap. They were talking and laughing loudly over the sounds of the music playing. Willie just sat there looking down and then out the window. His thoughts racing, he kept thinking of how he was going to explain this to Roxanne. How could he tell her that he was a marked man? If she knew, she could be in danger, too. Should he just disappear? No...he couldn't do that. He loved her too much. He could never forgive himself for doing her that way.

What would become of his career with the Collins family? He had worked so hard at making an honest living so that he and Roxy could someday have their own family. All of his hard work had come to this. Done in by a piece of cardboard with a black inkspot. Feeling a tightness in his chest, Willie closed his eyes and ran both hands through his hair and then down his face. His inner worries were silenced as he heard the scuffing of chairs scooting across the old wooden floor.

Turning his head toward the noise in reflex, Willie noticed all of the men at the table getting up to leave. Willie recognized one of them as the man in black who had come to see him at the dock. He came towards him first, but he had a paper towel held tightly against his bleeding lip that Willie had given him. Willie's eyes grew fierce as the man came near him.

"The captain is ready for you, Loomis. He's sitting right over there." the man in black tipped his hat casually to Willie as he left through the front door. Willie's eyes followed his every step with a fierce anger and a scowl on his face until he left the bar. Standing to his feet and using his hand to brush over his hair, he walked across the creaking floor towards the man whom he assumed was Captain Clarney.

The captain rose from his seat and pulled out the chair beside him. Captain Clarney stood at about six feet tall, had long white hair and a medum-length white beard and mustache to match. He wore a long, black coat and a typical captain's hat with a patch on the front above the bill. The symbol on the patch was unusual and unfamiliar to him, but it looked somewhat like a symbol from some kind of odd cult or lodge. The old man smiled and spoke with a European accent.

"Welcome, Mr Loomis. I see you got the message, eh?" the captain spoke with a rasp in his voice. "Please, join me for awhile. We have a lot to discuss, my boy."

Willie sat down and scooted his chair in. He didn't know what to say, so he sat still and quiet. The captian raised his arms to rest on the table as he spoke, but Willie noticed something that made him do a double-take. The captain's right hand was missing, and a hook was there in its place. Willie, who had a tendency to laugh at things at the wrong time when he was nervous, couldn't keep himself from scoffing. "Uh, that's some costume piece ya got there, mister. Ain't nobody told ya that trick o' treat was over a few weeks ago?"

The captain's eyes stayed glued with his and he said nothing to his chuckling guest. Before he could move, the hook tore through Willie's sleeve and was stuck inside the table. Willie gasped as the captain leaned toward him and spoke in a chilling tone just above a whisper. "One more word out of you, and the point of this hook will split your skull in two. Are we clear, boy?"

Willie's breathing stopped, and he couldn't find the words to utter. He could only nod quickly in agreement. The captain sat back and released the razor-sharp hook from Willie's sleeve, which now had a sizeable hole through the cuff. The captain sat back and stared for a moment into Willie's eyes, with neither of them saying a word. Suddenly, he erupted into a loud guffaw and slapped Willie on the shoulder with a hearty laugh. "Aye, you're just like I thought you would be. All bark but not much bite. I'm glad you came, lad. Now, we don't have time for more games. Let's get right down to the heart of the matter."

" _This man is nuts!"_ thought Willie as the captain's mood and demeanor suddenly changed from one of anger and homicidal threats to one that was as if they were old pals meeting up again. Captain Clarney continued, "I heard you were the best sailin' man here in these parts, and I'm needin' a man like you to help me. I hired the man who gave you that little envelope to do a little spyin' on ya the last couple o' days. You were highly recommended, and so I had to see if you were worth your salt. You may be aged a little, but I can see ya still have one good adventure left in you, am I right?"

Willie's tone was of pure desperation. "I ain't here for no adventure, I wanna know what this is for! Are you gonna kill me?"

The captain gave a loud shush. "Keep your voice down, ya fool! Do ya want the whole town to hear what we're sayin'? That letter you got there with the black spot ain't for you. It's mine."

Willie's chest felt a huge weight rolling off, but his mind was now weighted by an equally heavy load of questions. "What? Yours? Ya mean you're the one they wanna kill, Mister? Not me?"

"Yes. Oh, and call me by my name. 'Tis Captain Clarney, or just Captain to you. I'm a marked man, Willie. I've got some folks that are most likely a few days away from here. I had no choice but to come here and try and get some help. My only choice was to find someone o' your experience to help me get away. Not only that, there's quite a fortune in store for your help, lad." He nudged Willie's shoulder with his arm and flashed a big smile. "Whaddya say?"

Willie retorted. "Look, I'm sorry this happened to ya, but this ain't none of my problems. I got a wife and a job to go home to, and that's more important to me. I'm sorry, mister, uh...Captain, but you gotta find someone else. I'm done with that kinda life."

"Oh, I see. Ya mean you'd rather live on the tiny morsels o' bread crumbs the Collins family gives you, eh? Don't you still have dreams for something bigger, lad? I'm promising you a fortune worth a king's ransom! It lies just a few sailin' days northeast of this little hick town at the farthest little island bar off the coast. All I need is you to help me and give me your ship, and I'll take care o' the rest. The ones who are lookin' for me would recognize my ship anywhere, and yours would be the perfect cover to take us to the fortune that's ours for the takin'! Once we make it there, everything will be alright, and they'll never be able to touch me."

Willie shook his head in disbelief. "Look, Cap, I ain't gonna give nobody my ship. That's how I make my livin'! My wife and I can't make it without my job. We're tryin' to save and adopt a family. I ain't gonna put her at risk!"

The captain smiled. "Ya know, that's the first thing you said tonight that makes sense. That's exactly what I aim to do if you'll help me out and give me your ship. Ya don't realize what kinda danger I'm gonna save the two of you."

"Oh yeah? What danger? If you threaten her, I'll kill you myself!" Willie snapped.

"Hush! Now, these men ya saw in here with me," Captain Clarney rebuttled. "They don't know where the treasure is. Only I do...until now. I told you where it is. So now you're involved, Willie. They know where you live and all about you. If something were to happen to me and I were killed, they would come after you...and your wife. I couldn't protect you then."

Willie's face grew red and hot with frustration and fear. "You just shut up! I ain't involved in nothin'! If anyone comes to bother me, I'll just tell 'em where your stupid treasure is!"

Captain Clarney shook his head. "Ya see, boy, things don't exactly work that way with this crew. See, they never believe things they hear at face value. Their ways o' findin' out things is a bit more foolproof. They like to find pressure points and squeeze to make a man squirm and tell the whole truth and nothin' but it. That way they know they're getting the whole story from someone rather than just bein' fed a spoonful of what they wanna hear. I hate to mention it to ya because I know it would upset you, but we both know what that pressure point would probably be for you, Willie."

Willie's fist banged on the table, and he ran his other hand through his hair. He couldn't believe there was no way out. This was much worse than being marked for death. Now he was being played with Roxanne being the game piece. He felt tears in his eyes as his body began to shake in anger and frustration, and his stomach grew sick with worry.

"Why? Why are you doing this? Why are trying to ruin my life? I've worked so hard and have been so happy. Why are doing this, mister? Why'd ya have to involve me? Please, just leave us alone." Willie pleaded.

"Doing what? I've done nothin' but offer you a chance to change your life forever. You'll never want for anything again, lad. You and your wife will live happily ever after if you help me. You'll have everything you could ever want and much more. It ain't costin' ya a dime, Willie. Just need you to loan me your ship and come with me, and I'll have ya back in time for Christmas. How's that sound?" the captain rebuttled with a convinced innocence in his tone.

Willie scoffed. "So it all comes down to this, huh? You ain't got much time left, so ya have to ruin someone else's life, too, huh? If you go down, everybody goes down with you."

The captain replied while raising his mug. "Well, lad, it's sort of like my motto that I used to say all the time- 'Share, and share alike'."

Willie felt a pit in his stomach, and those words made him shudder. "What did you just say?"

The captain took another drink from his mug, and he smiled wider than ever as Willie called out in shock.

"Jason?!"

**I do not own the rights to DARK SHADOWS. My story based on characters and the TV show created by Dan Curtis is only meant for the enjoyment of the reader.**


	3. Chapter 3

ACT III

With a smirk and a chuckle, the captain asked, "Did ya miss me? Come now, you didn't really think you'd seen the last of the likes o' me, now did you?"

Willie, stunned with anger, surprise, confusion, and fear, was unable to react other than just staring. Despite his best attempts, he failed to utter any words.

"If it's any easier on ya, lad, you can still call me Captain. I prefer it, even. Such a noble-kinda feeling. One that I've worked hard for since I last saw you twenty years ago."

Willie's leg was restless and his hands shook. His eyes shot a sharp stare into Jason's. "What are you doin' here? You weren't supposed to come back here ever! I helped you escape when Barnabas thought he'd killed ya and that I buried your body out in the woods. You don't know the chance I took to help you escape. Barnabas, he...he had these powers, see? He could get into my mind and see what I was thinkin' and doin'. I was lucky that he was so preoccupied with Miss Winters that evenin' that he forgot to check up on me. You shouldn'ta come here, Jason! When I took ya down to that ship yard and got you on board, you were supposed to get away from here and leave us alone! "

The captain chided. "A man who would waste his time readin' your little speck of a brain needs a pretty girl to occupy his time. Ah, but what am I sayin'? It's good to see ya, boy. I can think of no one else that I'd want to strike the sails of my sunset voyage with."

Willie looked puzzled. "Sunset voyage?"

Jason nodded his head. "Aye. The last voyage I shall ever take in this life, and what a way to go. It's the biggest score I've ever found in my life, and I want you to come with me and share it, Willie."

Scoffing as he shook his head, Willie looked down at the floor. "Hehheh...yeah, the biggest score ya ever saw, and you wanna share it with me. I've heard that one before."

"Listen, Willie. This is no time for me playing around." Jason's tone grew serious. "I told you, I'm a marked man. There's people comin' lookin' for me, and they could be here at any moment, day or night. I ain't got time to waste on either of us, so you're gonna shut up and listen. Ya know the treasure I told you about? I bought the map from a traveling group o' gypsyies. The treasure is more valuable than any I've ever laid eyes on. I had to pay a steep price for it, too."

"Oh yeah? How much?" Willie asked, his tone full of sarcasm.

Jason held up the hook where his hand had once been. "There was a choice. I could pay a blood price, or I could sell my soul." The captain smiled wickedly, "Both of us knows I ain't got enough soul left in me to buy a bread crumb from an ant. So, I had to give them my right hand. But...that's where you come in, Willie. You're going to be my right hand. One last time."

"I ain't helpin' you again, Jason. I gave you more than enough when I helped ya escape that last time. This time you're gonna have to figure it out on ya own. I'm done." Willie replied defiantly as his chair scooted back from the table.

"Willie...did you ignore everything I just told you? They will kill you, and your little woman. You don't know these mugs like I do. They will do just what I said, and probably much worse to the two o' ya. I'm the only one that can save ya, lad. You've got to stick with me."

Willie nodded in nervous movements and both of his legs trembled. "Who are these people comin' after you? What did you do?"

Jason's voice lowered. "I'll tell you the quick version. There's other people wantin' this treasure, see? It is a priceless treasure for any man. A gateway for anything he could ever want. I fell in with a few odd fellows who have kept the code of the smugglin' business for hundreds o' years. Now, there are only three of them left. 'Keepers of the Code', I call them."

Willie couldn't help but ask. "By smugglin' business, you mean like pirates, right?"

Jason nodded. "Aye. They're a dyin' lot, and only a few of them remain, including myself. There was another, but he's dead by my own hand. Ya see, when I got the treasure map from the gypsies, I had every intention of keepin' it myself. We were permitted to keep whatever loot we captured. However, the Keepers thought that since they are almost at an end, the treasure ought to be surrendered to them. Given that I was a member, they felt as if they owned what I paid for. I wouldn't have that. Nobody owns me, boy. I spent days studyin' the map, and I burned it. Now the only way for them to get to the treasure was on _my_ terms since I was the only one who knew where it was. Sort of an...insurance policy to protect me from bein' killed and them takin' the map from me. They had no choice but to keep me alive."

Puzzled, Willie had to know. "So then why are they after ya if they can't kill ya?"  
Jason replied. "Because I killed one of them. That's the first code, and I broke it. The penalty is death for a death. He thought that just because I am an old man that he could threaten and scare me into tellin' him where it was. I showed him that I still had all of my resolve within me, and that nobody would wear me down. Now, the Keepers are after me. To make a deal, no less. They'll probably offer me a pardon in exchange for what I know, but I know the moment I tell them, they would kill me and claim the spoils. I can't let them do that, and I—no, _we_ won't. They would easily recognize my ship, so that's why I need yours, Willie. They would't suspect yours. It would buy us enough time to get there, and then...then all will be made right and settled."

"But why not just hijack my boat and steal it? Why go through the trouble of tryin' to get me to help you?" Willie scoffed.

"Well, lad, timing is everything, but if my life proves anything, it's that you are good luck for me. Anytime I've been at my lowest and have had nothing, Willie Loomis always came around. Even when a vampire attacked me, ya made sure I made it out safely. You're going to be my good luck piece once more for the last time. Truth is, too, that I feel badly for ya, lad. I've always promised you payoffs with little success. Liz has got ya workin' your guts out for peanuts, Willie. This is my chance to go out in style, and your chance to never want for anything and protect yourself and the one who holds your heart. It's the _only_ chance you have, Willie." Jason explained.

"But...wh..what about them guys out there? They're your crew. Won't they protect ya?" Wille objected.

"They have no loyalty to me. They know I have the location of the treasure up here...", Jason whispered as he pointed his finger to his forehead. "They're loyal to the secrets I have."

"So...you're after that gypsy treasure, your crew probably wants to kill you for it, and them Keepers are after you to kill you, but they can't kill you until you tell them where the money is 'cause they want it and need it, too?" Willie asked, trying to recall everything Jason had told him.

With a quirky smile, Jason replied, "Beautiful. I couldn't have put it better myself, lad. Now...do we have a deal? We will share and share alike, Willie. There's treasure out there for you, and you and your lady can have whatever your hearts' desires are, or you can stay here and die with me for no reason at all. Come with me, and I'll have ya back in time for Christmas. Whaddy'a say, my boy? Be my first mate on our last adventure?"

Willie's hands were fidgety and his nails dug into the splintered wood on the table. Scowling and gritting through his teeth, he pointed his finger at Jason and exclaimed. "Only because you're blackmailin' me and these people would kill Roxy! I ain't glad to see you, and I wish I never had! I just wanna be left alone!"

Jason took another drink. "That's not a grateful attitude for a man that's about to make your ship come in. You'll come to appreciate what I'm doin' for ya soon enough, lad. For now, ya better be runnin' along home. You'll find the details of what you need to do before we go carefully placed on your doorstep in the morning."

Scooting his chair back, Willie's nervous legs ached from shaking as he rose from the table. He ran his hand through his hair and looked down in shame. "What am I gonna tell Roxy?"

"I'll leave that entirely up to you, lad. Talkin' to women has never been my strongest suit. You just keep thinkin' about what a hero's welcome she'll give ya when you come back with your share. That'll make it all worthwhile." Jason replied. "Now, get outta here, Willie. We can't be seen in the streets together, and I won't see ya until we execute the plan. You go your own way, and I'll go mine. You'll find your instructions at your doorstep by sunrise, lad. You'll know exactly what to do. Now go home and be gettin' a good night sleep. You'll need all of it tomorrow. It'll probably be the best sleep you'll have for awhile."

Willie walked away quietly, filled with deep emotions and pensive thoughts. It was all too much for him to make any sense of. Walking all the way home through the cold and gathering snow, he couldn't stop trying to think of what to say to Roxanne, Not that he was afraid of her, but because what he tell her might put her in danger and take her away from him forever. Feeling catatonic, he was numb to the harsh winds and noise of the bustling crowds throughout Collinsport that roared and buzzed the whole time he walked toward his home.

Throwing open the gate of his small house in the village, he went to reach for his keys as he walked up the tiny walk. When he reached the doorstep, Willie noticed the lights were off and the door unlocked and slightly opened. Microseconds brought images of Roxanne in danger and being overtaken by everyone that Jason was talking about. Fearing the worst, Willie burst through the door to look for her.

**I do not own the rights to DARK SHADOWS. My story based on characters and the tv show created by Dan Curtis are meant for the enjoyment of the reader**


	4. Chapter 4

ACT IV

Bursting through the front door, Willie heard a loud scream that echoed throughout the house. "Help! Somebody help! Willie!"

"Roxy?! Roxy I'm comin'!" Willie shouted as he ran towards the direction that Roxanne had called out. "Roxy!"

She screamed out again. "I'm in the kitchen!"

Willie ran toward the kitchen and flipped the light switch. No one but Roxanne stood there. Squeezing her tight, Willie held her close. "Roxy, are ya okay? Is someone else here in the house?"

Roxanne's breathing was frantic as she spoke. "I don't know. I walked in the front door and tried to close it back with my foot and set our stuff here on the table. I couldn't close the door or turn on the lights because my arms were full. Then, just now, I heard someone bust through the front door. I thought it was a prowler. When did you get here?"

Willie held on to her still, his eyes shifting all over the room in front of him for any sign of anyone else. "Just now. I saw the lights off and the door open, and I thought someone had broken in, so I hurried in and..."

Roxanne pulled back and looked at him. "And heard me scream?"

Willie nodded in agreement. "So...you left the door open and couldn't turn the lights on because..."

Their eyes turned toward a brown paper bag on the floor that had a large wet spot on the bottom and a growing dark stain on the floor. Their eyes turned back to each other, and, beginning with a relieved smile, they both sighed and began to laugh out of relief. Willie pulled her close again, and rocked her back and forth and kissed her just above her forehead. "I thought you had broken in the house and were coming after me!" Roxanne exclaimed.

Willie teased. "And I thought you was one, too. I was about ready to clobber ya!"

Roxanne gave Willie a smirk. "Ha! You would've tried."

Willie snickered. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Roxanne let go of him and went toward the leaking bag. "Well, surprise! There were our hot chocolates. Our burgers were in the bag, too. I'm guessing they'll probably be pretty disgusting right now with chocolate all over them. Want to go grab something in the village tonight?"

Willie's tone changed suddenly, and his face grew sullen. "Uh...n..no, I...I ain't feelin' much like eatin' nothin'. Don't let me stop you, though. If ya wanna eat somethin', I'll sit with ya."

"What's wrong, Willie? Did you eat too much at the Blue Whale?" Roxanne stared at Willie as he turned away from her with his head lowered.

His thoughts racing and spiraling in a tailspin, Willie couldn't bring himself to tell Roxanne what had happened. "No...I...I just ain't hungry, that's all. I don't...I don't feel so good, that's all."

With a slight touch, Roxanne's fingers reached up to feel his forehead. "Are you running a fever? Were you out in the cold too long getting ready for tomorrow?" Willie turned to face her and pushed her hand away from him. "I ain't runnin' no fever, just...I just ain't feelin' good, that's all."

Roxanne stared as Willie's tone suggested that he was annoyed by her being there. She backed up a few steps to give him space, but she kept her eyes glued to him. "Willie, you're not acting like yourself. Did you start drinking again?"

Stammering, Willie nervously defended himself. "No, I...I didn't. Not one drop. Will ya stop accusin' me?" He couldn't keep eye contact with her. Relentlessly, Roxanne moved back toward him. "Willie, what's wrong? You've never acted this way with me before. Sweetie, something's the matter. You're always honest with me and tell me everything like we promised. You know we can work through it. I just want you to tell me the truth. What's going on, Willie?"

Willie paused, staring off toward the ceiling. "What's the matter? I...I can't...I don't know how to tell you, Roxy."

Roxanne's heart sank, and she prepared herself for the worst. Her eyes began to burn because Willie had always told her everything. This time, there was something he was choosing to hide, even from her. She placed her hand across his cheek, turning his eyes toward hers. "Look into my eyes, Willie. Talk to me. Whatever it is, we can work through it. Tell me. What's bothering you?"

Willie, heavy-laden with guilt as he stared into her eyes, felt his best defenses crumbling. There was no way to hide things now. "R..Roxy? You know how...how I told ya that, I had a past that I wasn't particularly proud of? I done a lot of bad things, but you said we'd have our own lives to live and everything was forgiven and all in the past?"

Roxanne, still preparing for the worst, nodded in agreement.

Willie continued. "Well, the worst part of my past, it...it found me today. Th...There's somethin' I have to do to keep him away from ya. Him and those other people with him and the ones lookin' for him." Willie looked away again. "I know that don't make much sense, but you gotta trust me. I didn't know what to say because I was afraid of tellin' ya. The less you know, the better...or maybe, the more you know, the easier it will be for you and we can try and..."

"Willie?" Roxanne directed his eyes toward her again. "Whatever it is, I need you to trust ME. I don't understand what you're saying, but I know that we can work through anything. All you have to do is trust m..."

With a loud crash of shattering glass, Roxanne screamed as Willie reacted quickly, grabbing and covering her. After a few seconds, they ran into their living room together and found a rock lying in the floor. Driven into their front door, a note was pierced with a sharp dagger.

Wasting no time, Willie looked out the broken window to see any traces of anyone, but he saw nothing. By the time Willie had turned back around to see Roxanne, she had already pulled the dagger from the door and her eyes were focused on the letter.

"Roxanne, honey, gimme that! I can't let you see it!" With a quick reflex, Willie snatched the letter from her hand, ripping it into two pieces. Willie quickly grabbed for the other half that Roxanne was still holding, but she tucked it behind her back and moved away from him.

"Roxy, please, ya can't keep it! Gimme that now! You don't know what you're doin'!" Willie pleaded. She backed into the corner of the room, and Willie's arms reached to try and grab the torn half she held tightly.

Surprised by his aggressiveness with her, Roxanne shoved him away and he fell backwards. "Willie! What's wrong with you?! Have you lost your mind?!"

Gripping both sides of his hair and pulling hard in frustration, Willie stood to his feet, pleading. "You're in danger, Roxy, don't ya understand that?! And it's all my fault! It's all 'cause of me...and him!"

Standing in place at a safe distance, Roxanne watched her husband pacing back and forth. He looked down at the torn piece of paper he had in his hand and sat down on the floor, holding his knees tightly and rocking back and forth. Roxanne couldn't help but stare and wonder what had broken him so suddenly. She had never seen Willie like this, and her fear turned to concern and pity for him. He was always so good to her, and she knew deep down that only thing that could make him react this way had to be, what seemed like to him, a genuine threat against her. Stepping slowly toward where he sat in the floor, she held out her half of the note. Willie looked up at her, and she saw genuine fear and terror all over him.

Sitting down beside him, she put her arms around him as he rocked back and forth, and she leaned her head against him."Talk to me, Willie. What's the matter?"

Willie hesitated and didn't say anything. He could only stare at the floor as he debated whether or not it would be the right thing to do to tell her and possibly put her at risk.

"Trust me, Willie. Nobody is going to hurt me. Now what's going on? If you tell me, I'll believe you, okay?" She rubbed his shoulders as she held him, and he leaned into her as he began to speak.

Taking a deep breath, Willie sighed before starting. "You know how I told you about that guy that I used to go around with? The guy that brought me here to Collinsport?"

Roxanne nodded. "Jason McGuire, right? Didn't you say he disappeared a long time ago and nobody knew what happened to him?"

Willie nodded. "Yeah, I said that. Some people thought he was dead, and some people thought he went away from here. I thought he'd be gone for good. I helped him escape outta this town, and he said he'd never come back. He was almost dead when I found him, and I felt kinda responsible for helpin' him. I shouldn't have...but I can't change it. He, uh...he came back to town, and he's threatened me if I don't help him get somethin' he wants. He had me followed the last few days, and he knows about me, " Willie paused. "And he...he knows about you. He said if I didn't help him, there was some people that would come after me and you."

Roxanne's eyes grew wide. "Willie, why didn't you go to the sheriff? You've got to tell them that he's here and what he said to you."

Shaking his head, Willie argued. "No, no...we...we can't do that. If they kill Jason, they'll come after us."

Trying to piece together the fragments that Willie spoke, Roxanne questioned him. "What? Who would kill Jason? Sweetheart, you're not making much sense. What does all of this have to do with this letter? "

"Okay...I'll start from the beginnin'". Willie told Roxanne about the entire conversation he had with Jason. He saw her face filled with worry as he told her of how Jason was being hunted and that, if he were killed, the secrets he shared with Willie of the treasure's whereabouts would bring his crew and the Keepers of the Code after them. The only chance Willie could haphazardly take was to go along with Jason's plan.

Determined to change the circumstances, Roxanne stood up and opened the closet in the room they were in. Puzzled by her sudden move, Willie asked. "What are you doin'?"

Roxanne slammed a suitcase down on the couch. "We're getting out of here, Willie. We can get away from this town. There's got to be another way. They can cut Jason's throat for all I care, and then they can just leave because we're not going to be around for them to find us."

Willie stood in front of her. "Roxy, they'll find us. They'll just get that guy to follow us again or get somebody else. How could we make it? Nobody else's gonna hire me for nothin'. We'll never be able to have money to adopt kids like we wanted or anything. We can't run from it, Roxy. I have to do what he says Just this one last time."

Staring out the window into the night, Roxanne was silent and stoic for several minutes.

She knew that Willie was right. There was no way out. Finally, she broke her silence. "Willie?"

As she turned toward him away from the window, their eyes locked as she spoke. "Will you take me with you?"

"Honey, I can't. You don't know what these people would do to you if you went with me. Besides, Jason wouldn't have it. He'd know that they would just use you to get to me, and that would screw up all his plans. The only chance we got is to let me go. He said I'd be back home in a few weeks before Christmas. He needs me with him for the time bein'. I'm the only one who knows where this thing is besides him. Besides, if it's there, think of what it could mean for us? Maybe it won't be so bad, ya know? We could live in a nicer home and you would have everythin' ya always deserved that I couldn't get ya. We'd finally have enough money to adopt the kids like we wanted, and they could go to college and stuff when they get older, and they'd have everything I never did."

Shaking her head, Roxanne's voice was breaking. "Willie, do you really believe him? I don't care about me or money. We could find some way to make that happen without you having to go. What would we tell everyone? That you'd gone off to be a pirate for a few weeks? That you ran off and left me? You'd lose your position at the Collins cannery, you would be arrested, and we'd have nothing. Don't you see what could happen?"

Willie raised the letter to her. "I know, I know. Roxy, I looked at this while you was starin' out the window. Jason has a plan that looks like it should take care o' everything. He's gonna make it look like a kidnappin'. Nobody'll know except me and you. Take a look for yourself."

Taking the two halves of the letter together, Roxanne read the words written in bold ink.

 _Tomorrow at eventide, you'll be standing on your ship minding your own business as the Collins family stands there during their festivities on the waterfront. When you see the signal, my crew and I will board your ship and commandeer it with you as an "unwilling" captive. Make sure to put on a good show that you are being forced to leave with us. There will be quite a skirmish going on right before we board, so make sure you're convincing enough. We've already taken measures to ensure we get away without anyone following us. We've done our part, and now you've got to do yours, lad. We've got a large payoff waiting for us, Willie. You and your fair lass will not be sorry or want for anything else. Don't be late. Timing is everything. It's all up to you, boy. You know the alternative if you back out now. Remember, our motto, "Share, and share alike." The fate we share is up to you._

Roxanne crumpled the letter and looked at Willie. "You're really going to do this, aren't you?"

Willie shrugged. "I have to. It's all I can do. I know I ain't got no right to ask nothin' of you, but all I can ask is that you trust me. I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but I know how to handle this guy. I'll be alright and nothin' will happen to me. He needs me too much to get what he wants. I'll be fine, and when I come back, we'll have it made, Roxy."

"I don't care about that, Willie. I just want you here with me." She took his hands and looked n his eyes. "I'll lie for you. I'll cover for you and tell them anything you want me to. Whatever brings you back safely to me and protects you. I don't care what Jason says about any treasure or gold or whatever he promises. I just want you back safely with me and for us to live our lives together. You don't owe Jason or anyone else anything. Do what you have to do to protect yourself so you can come back to me."

Willie looked down. "I'm...I'm sorry that my past has come up again and caused you to suffer. I thought it was all behind me and everything, but..." he shook his head as his eyes returned to hers. "I want you to do the same thing. Do whatever it takes to protect you, Roxy. If it gets too much to cover for me, then don't. You don't have to feel guilty about it none, either. It's not your fault that all this happened."

Sliding her arms around him and pulling him close, she reassured him. "Hey, I can take care of myself...AND you. I know how to deal with people in this town. It's not gonna be long, right? You promise me?"

Willie kissed her forehead and returned her embrace. "Sure, Roxy. I promise. I'm leavin' the gun here just in case you need it, okay? If you see somethin' or someone sneakin' around, don't take no chances. You do what you have to do to take care of you, okay? Promise me that...that you'll take care o' yourself so that I have someone I love to come home to, and...and spend Christmas with?"

With a light smile and deep sigh, Roxanne nodded.

After checking all the doors and putting a sheet of plastic over the broken window, they went to bed early. Seldom sleeping a wink or saying much, the couple held on to each other as if it were the last time until the morning hours. Roxanne wanted to call out of work, but Willie was afraid it could be seen as a suspicious move and make it look like maybe she knew something beforehand after he would be gone. Also, Willie knew that she would be much safer there in a public place away from him, so she went.

Later that afternoon, he stopped by to see her before going to work by the dock. In a crowded dining room, it was all they could do to show restraint before it was Willie's time to go. As much as it hurt, they couldn't show more affection than the norm or give any kind of hint that things were as they were, especially with many of the small town locals sitting there watching. There would be enough gossip as it is, and he didn't want any to be directed at her. Squeezing her tight, he reassured her. "I'll see ya later, okay? I love you, Roxy."

After they kissed, Roxanne felt her eyes stinging again, but she held back as much as she could to keep from crying. "I love you, Silly Willie. Don't be late, okay? You promised."

Willie squeezed her hands as he started to pull away. "I promise."

With the blast of a cold wind and the chiming of a bell, the coffee shop door opened and closed as Willie left her behind. She stared blankly at the door for a moment, but the impatient patrons clamoring for her attention quickly snapped her out of it.

Making his way to the waterfront, Willie pushed and slid his way through the gathering crowd. He took his place on his small boat and waited for the Collins trio of Elizabeth, David, and Hallie Stokes-Collins to take the stage and begin. His thoughts drifted to Roxanne, and he felt so guilty because he couldn't imagine how hard this had to be on her. Through fake smiles and half-hearted singing, he kept up the best guise he could muster to keep up appearances and faux Christmas spirit as he was ordered to do along with the other ship captains.

In the distance, he heard the Collinsport High School band playing as a sleek limousine pulled onto the dock. The three heads of the Collins family proudly made their way across the pier to the stage. It would be just a matter of time now, and Willie wondered what the "Signal" would be. With a watchful eye, Willie's eyes wondered around the crowds, looking for any sign of Jason or his handful of rogues.

On a TV set mounted to the wall of the coffee shop, a very tense Roxanne watched the event as it was being broadcast live on the local channel.

 _**I do not own the rights to DARK SHADOWS. My story based on characters and places created by Dan Curtis productions is meant only for the enjoyment of the reader.**_


	5. Chapter 5

ACT V

The roar of the wintery winds was matched by the cheers of the crowd as the Collins trio and their entourage of bodyguards made their way to the stage located at the edge of the docks. The sun had set early as the winter solstice was making its way gradually as November was drawing to a close.

David and Hallie walked behind Elizabeth, waving at the crowds and holding hands. All three were smiling, and cannery employees were dressed as elves, throwing candy to the outstretched hands of excited children and adults. Elizabeth took the stage first, and David and Hallie sat down behind her. With a warm smile, the white-haired matriarch of the Collins family welcomed everyone to their tricentennial anniversary Christmas celebration.

The crowd cheered as she delivered a small speech of the family history and tales of the first Christmas that the family spent in the New World. She also wore a strand of pearls that was given as a Christmas gift from Isaac Collins gave to Annabella , the founding members of the Collins Enterprises, on their first Christmas together in America. Elizabeth went on to address the crowd.

"Now, in the three centuries that the Collins family has been settled here, our family has grown. All of you...all of you are our family. Brothers, sisters, cousins, sons, daughters...all of us alike. We all thrive as a family. You put food on my table and a roof over my head because of your faithfulness to our business that keeps the town of Collinsport our wonderful home. This, in turn, provides you with a roof over your head and food on your tables, and a safe place for future generations of our family to stay and thrive. We all stick together, like a family. Yes, there have been many hard times..." Elizabeth paused. "..but we have overcome them together. Now, here we are. We have survived for three hundred years, and shall continue to do so. I can think of no one better than you, my family, to spend Christmas with. Now, it's time for us to begin our celebration with the lighting of our family Christmas tree to welcome the month of December and the Christmas season."

With a warm smile, Elizabeth stared out over the crowd, basking in the applause. She turned to David, who dusted the falling snow from his long coat. Hallie stood by his side, and they both faced the crowd with smiles on their faces.

While Elizabeth was giving her speech, Willie's attention was focused on the crowd. He kept looking for any sign of Jason or his men. The words being spoken and the cheers of the crowd were nothing more than mere echoes and buzzing in his ears. With a twinge of pain in his chest and a pit in his stomach, Willie glanced anxiously around the docks as far as he could see. At times, he fought a snicker, thinking of what must be going through Jason's mind when he saw Elizabeth on the stage.

Was it disgust and bitterness? Was it regret? He was sure he would soon find out.

While still working on developing a respectable public image like his Aunt Elizabeth had so perfectly pioneered with the townsfolk, David felt his hands beginning to shake as he pulled out his note to read from. His voice was someone bland and monotone as he did the best he could to effectively deliver the speech his aunt had written for him. Hallie did her best to keep a radiant smile, despite David's lackluster public speaking attempt.

Relieved the speech was over, David invited the crowd to sing along right before the "big moment" of the Christmas Tree lighting. With David's musical background being limited to "Mr. Juggins", Hallie thought it best to take the stage for this part. With a cheerful smile, she held her arms up high to lead the crowd in singing the words:

" _Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree..._

 _How lovely are thy branches._

 _Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree..._

 _You'll ever be unchanging."_

Off-key, yet joyful singing echoed across the waterfront as the crowds began joining in at various pitches and volumes. Hallie moved from the center of the stage to a box with a giant handle that, when thrown, would set off a beautiful display of Christmas lights along the pier and light the giant Christmas tree at the square in front of the cannery for all to see.

 _"Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree..._

 _A symbol of goodwill and love._

 _Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree..._

 _You'll ever be unchanging._

" _Each shining light_

 _Each silver bell._

 _No one alive spreads cheer so well._

Her hand tightly gripped around the switch with a twinkling in her eyes, Hallie waited for the final line before she would throw the switch.

 _Oh Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree..._

 _You'll ever be unchanging..."_

With a quick motion, the switch was thrown and the crowd watched in anticipation.

 _WHOOSH!_

A giant ball of flame engulfed the large tree and the entire backside of the cannery. The crowds screamed and ran frantically, while the trio of the Collins family stood in shock and awe of what happened. Police sirens wailed through the town as did the shouting through megaphones trying to calm the crowds and get them to move back. Several officers radioed for backup and fire engines. The guards watching out for the Collins family directed them quickly to the safety of the limo where they watched the clamor of police and townsfolk scrambling around the entire waterfront.

Willie stood still on the ship and waited for whatever it was that Jason had planned. Above the chaos, Willie heard a little girl screaming and crying and turned his eyes in the direction of the cries. The crowds were pushing each other, and the little girl was pushed back toward the edge of the dock. Without hesitation, Willie left his post on the ship and ran for the little girl.

Snatching her up in his arms, Willie ran with the little girl to the nearest vacant spot away out of the main traffic of the panicked crowd. "It's okay, sweetie, it's alright. This was just a joke someone was playin' that's all. It's all gonna be okay, see? Nobody's gonna be hurt. This was all just a big joke."

Before he could do anything else, Willie felt hands grabbing at each side of his jacket and pulling him away. "No!" His hands reached out toward the little girl, and she screamed as he was pulled away. "Let me go!" With the strength of three men, Willie pulled loose and began fighting the who had grabbed him.

A swift uppercut left one of the men dazed as he fell into the cold water below. Willie quickly turned to his other aggressor. With bone-breaking left and right combinations to his ribs, the attacker fell back and retreated toward Willie's boat, holding his arm across his bruised abdomen.

"Willie!"

With a quick turnaround, Willie's eyes grew wide when he saw the figure of an old man holding onto the little girl he saved a moment earlier. She was squirming to be free as the old man held her tightly with his one hand.

"Jason!"

Running as hard as he could, Willie's anger got the best of him, and racing images of him taking Jason down once and for all ran through his mind as he darted toward the old man. With a large crunch, Willie felt the pier shaking beneath him as he stumbled over something that was suddenly thrust at his feet. Before he could get up, he was dazed as something that felt like the butt end of a gun connect with his temple, leaving him unconscious.

Laughing as he ran with his crew following behind him, Jason made his way onto Willie's boat. One of the crew members picked Willie up and threw him over his shoulder. Once on board, Willie's body was tossed on the deck as Jason gave the order. "Anchors away!"

Without hesitation, the engine came to life and the boat began pulling away from the dock. Before anyone had noticed that the ship was moving, the gap had grown too large for anyone to try and jump on board and stop them from commandeering the vessel.

From the safety of the cabin, Jason watched through the windows as the ship turned. He could see the glow of burning embers and the flashing of police lights lined up across the entire dock. The echo of shots firing rang into the night as they tried to stop the men who had taken over the craft.

Members of the Collinsport coast guard began to follow them in hot pursuit, but they never made it very far. Shortly after leaving the dock, their motors stalled and died from being clogged and disabled, leaving them stranded just far enough away to where they could only swim back. Following Jason's orders to the letter, his crew had executed their plans of sabotage perfectly.

The door to the Collinsport coffee shop was thrown open as Roxanne ran outside as the chaos and sight of Willie's ship being taken was broadcast over the TV set inside. Although she could never see him on screen, she knew he was there. Running to the end of the alley beside the building, she screamed and cried uncontrollably, collapsing against the side of the building. One of the other waitresses ran out to her and sat there with her and trying to help her to calm down.

Laughing maniacally at the successful chaos they created, Jason and his crew set their sights on their destination as the ship sailed out into the night. Willie was still lying on deck in an unconscious heap. When it was time for him to awaken, he would have a hard truth to face. He had involuntarily helped them set their plan in motion, and he would be counted just as guilty as they if they were caught. There was no turning back. If he wanted Roxanne and himself to survive, he had no choice but to see this through to the end and play by Jason's rules because it was Jason's game. For now.


	6. Chapter 6

ACT VI

"Hey, ugly! Wake up!"

Willie jumped to his feet after he felt the slap of ice cold water thrown on his face and shoulders. He shivered from the chill and drew his fists, ready to rearrange the face of the mate who did it to him.

"Well, well...the Captain's prima donna is awake. Hey, you and Cap'n Clarney used to sail around the world together, huh?" the ship mate said with sarcasm and faux admiration. "Well, lemme tell ya somethin', squirt. You ain't nothin', now! You can't just come in here and make it to first mate without our approvin' it. I don't care what Cap'n Clarney says, ya ain't gonna be nothin' more than a cabin boy if we decide to let ya stay on!"

Willie quickly sized up the medium-framed man who stood at 6'3"and was dressed in faded black clothing and a dirty red bandana. "Well, I don't give a crap about your approval! This is MY ship you're on, and nobody's tellin' me what to do, Mac! Don't you think I ain't beat up guys twice as big as you?"

The mate made his way to Willie and stood in place, towering over him. "Go ahead, punk. Gimme yer best shot. I'll let ya get one free one in before I kill ya."

Willie drew his fist back and delivered a bone-crunching blow to the man's left rib cage. The snarling man stood still , and Willie's knuckles felt as if he had just punched a brick wall. Stunned by the ineffective blow that would've sent any other man to the ground and gasping for air, Willie went straight for the man's face with his other hand. The mate grabbed his fist in midair and twisted it around, turning Willie's body around in suit. In an instant, Willie was struggling to breathe and break free of a choke hold that he couldn't get away from, no matter how hard he tried.

"I'm gonna break your neck, little man!" The mate shouted with a sadistic sense of delight. Feeling the grip around his throat grow suddenly tighter and the mate's other hand gripping over his forehead, Willie braced himself for a quick burst of pain before the end.

"Auuuugh!"

A gunshot rang out from the top of the stairs going down into the cabin where Willie and the giant goon were fighting. The large man stumbled back into the shelves by the stove, knocking cans and kitchen tools onto the floor with loud banging. Willie couldn't hear any of it, though, as his ears were still ringing from the sound of the now-smoking gun that Jason held in his hand.

The large mate had a large bleeding wound between his shoulder and neck just above his heart. Willie stumbled to his feet, but looked down at his fallen foe. Making his way slowly over to the man lying on the floor, Jason's face burned with anger. Willie looked over at Jason and shouted. "What took ya so long?! Big man was about to..."

" I didn't do this for you, Willie." Jason's anger and disgust never recessed as he faced Willie. "I overheard everything. This is a matter of insubordination...I would say even mutiny. A captain must have full obedience from his crew.0 I don't tolerate it, nor will I ever. There's only one way to deal with this, boy. The penalty for mutiny and insubordination on my ship is execution to be carried out personally. These men know this. There can be no exception. I'll lose a good sailing master, but I have to maintain order on my ship, lad. Nobody gets any special kind of treatment while I'm the captain."

Holding his chest with blood oozing rapidly through his fingers, the man lay wide-eyed on the ground as Willie stared at him.

"You're gonna kill one o' your own crew?!" Willie asked in disbelief. He had known Jason to be a lot of things, but a cold-blooded killer was not one of them.

His old voice rasping, Jason turned to face his partner and shouted. "I'm captain of this crew, and that means you, too, boy. This is my voyage, lad, and if ya want your share, you're gonna play by my rules."

Willie stood frozen. He was going to watch this crewman die mercilessly. Looking down at the man's body, Willie covered his ears and waited for the next bullet rip that would silence the mate forever. After hearing nothing, Willie looked and saw a barreled piece of black steel moving across his eyes and dangling from Jason's hook. "I'm going to test your loyalty, lad. As the captiain, I order you to carry out the execution, Willie."

"What?! I ain't never killed nobody, and I won't!" Willie stammered.

"Whaddya mean ya ain't never killed nobody, Willie?! Look at me! Ya more or less was gonna leave me for dead! Ya can't convince me that I was the only one that got attacked by that man Barnabas Collins! Hard to tell how many skeletons are in your closet, Willie. Don't think you're the innocent one on board, boy. You are just as much an accomplice now, lad. There's no turnin' back. Now do..." cold steel slapped down into his hand. "...as your captain tells ya to."

Willie stared at the gun, then back to Jason, then his eyes returned to the gun and the dying man. "Jason, I...I can't murder somebody. Don't ya think we need him?"

"Oh, I see. Well, perhaps it's time for us to play a little game, Willie. It's called, 'Which One of Us is More Righteous Than The Other?'. One of us has to put the man out of his misery, Willie. The poor bloke is sufferin', and he committed an act of mutiny against his captain. If I let him go, all o' them would think they could push us over, and we'd be finished. Would ya like that to happen, boy? They'd kill me, and then they would eventually kill you once they got what they wanted. Now do as I say! You want to be more righteous? Then end the boy's sufferin'. Are ya more righteous than me to do the fair thing so he won't hurt no more and more people are pointlessly killed? Now, do it!"

Willie's eyes were full of conflict, knowing that, if he didn't do this, there would surely be a mutiny just like Jason said as they drew nearer and nearer to the sandbar hiding the treasure.

"Lad...if ya don't do what your captain says, you'll be guilty of the same thing, and you'll be next." Jason's quiet rasp was stern and as serious as a heart attack.

Willie's face hardened, and his head and chest began aching as his breathing and pulse quickly elevated . Breathing rapidly through gritted teeth, Willie's resolve grew stronger. If he didn't do this, he may never see Roxanne again. She would be left with nothing. He had to survive. There were more lives at stake if he didn't do this. Raising his firearm toward the fallen sailing master, Willie held his breath and closed his eyes as his index finger looped around the trigger. With a loud pant, the sailing master's breathing grew rapid and labored as his eyes were wide with horror. With a loud bellowing shout, Willie screamed out and pulled the trigger.

 _Click!_

Opening his eyes, Willie looked down at the gun. Slapping it a few times with his palm to try and dislodge the bullet, he raised it up to fire again.

 _Click! Click! Click!_

Roaring with laughter, Jason took the gun away from Willie. "Ah, you passed, boy. No matter what, you'd do what your Captain tells you to. Even if it means killin' one of me shipmates. Good!"

Willie stood still, unable to speak and not knowing what to say.

"And...as for you, Hawkins..." Jason turned toward the bleeding man. "You had your doubts about him being my first mate? Consider them closed. The next time you betray me or speak of overriding my authority, there won't be any chambers left empty. I'll make sure you're still alive with plenty of bleeding holes to make a nice meal o' ya for the sharks."

Jason walked triumphantly toward a first aid kit mounted on the wall of the cabin. Pulling it down, he tossed it to Willie. "Do the man a favor, and make him fit for duty immediately, Willie. We're sailin' in the dark and we had to knock out your radar antenna so that we couldn't be traced. That means we have to rely on the savvy of a sailin' master. I'll give ya three minutes to be on deck and joinin' the rest of us."

Without a word, Willie took out bandages and grabbed a rag left on the table. Hawkins sat there without saying a word, his face full of fear, anger, and disgust. Within a few minutes, Willie had poured a bottle of rum that he saw sitting on the table over the man's wound to disenfect the wound with the alcohol. Pressing another rag firmly against the bleeding bullet hole, Willie rolled bandages tightly in several layers from Hawkins shoulder across his chest and tucked underneath his arm. Willie reached down to help Hawkins to his feet, and, when he was almost standing fully, he shoved off Willie's arms that were helping lift him. Staring each other down, Willie's face turned to a look of scoff, knowing that he had shown strength over the giant goon. The two of them walked up the cabin stairs and onto the deck where Jason and the rest of the crew stood.

"Alright, listen!" Jason shouted over the roar of the wind. "We're moving toward an alcove due east of here. We've got to hurry because a search and rescue helicopter will no doubt be on its way soon to look for us. It's about two miles that way!" Jason pointed out over the starboard side, and then turned toward Hawkins. "Get down there now and take us that way, Hawkins! We ain't got a second to lose. The rest of you, keep a weathered eye out for any sign of anyone or anything headed our way. Make no noise or anything that can draw attention to us, even for a second. One wrong move and ya could ruin it all for the rest of us. Not even so much as a whisper or a flicker of a cigarette lighter, aye?"

A collective "Aye!" resounded from the crew of five, including Willie.

"Now move out!" Jason ordered as he turned to Willie. "Now, I want ya to go back down into the cabin and make sure ya got everything ready for a nice, long stay inside this alcove. We're gonna be hidin' out there...indefinitely. I hope ya made sure there was enough food to fill these mutts' stomachs. Otherwise, I'm leavin' it up to you to 'downsize' this crew. I ain't takin' any chances and will act at the first sign of mutiny." Pulling his coat back, Jason showed Willie another pistol at his side. "Now, as you were, lad. Better hurry."

"Alright, Jas—or, Cap'n." Willie mumbled.

Jason gripped his jacket and lifted him slightly. "Aye, Captain!"

Willie smirked, but raised his voice. "Aye, Cap'n!"

Smiling as he released his grip, Jason said, "There ya go, Number One. Now get busy!"

Willie went back inside and began taking a quick inventory of all the food. He figured there was enough cans of Collins fish to feed this small band for about two weeks, or maybe a few more days extra if they rationed off portion sizes.

Through Hawkins' skillful navigation, the ship made it to the alcove and dropped anchor inside. They were hidden and cut off from any visuals. The ship's radar had been disabled as well as the radio. Jason seamlessly made every effort to make sure that neither Willie nor any of the crew would betray him or do anything that would attract attention to themselves. The wind was cold, and icicles draped across the cracks of the rocks around them. With the sound of the motor dying down, Willie also overheard Jason ordering everyone down into the cabin for a meeting and a meal. He collected his thoughts, and let out a deep sigh. Trying not to focus on how he missed and worried about Roxy, he decided instead to turn his attention on learning and studying the rest of the crew as they followed the captain into the cabin.

Jason had played the game perfectly up to this point, and all of his pawns aboard the ship were playing along according to his rules. Rather than challenging the gamemaster, Willie decided the best place he could be for now was alongside him and learning how each pawn moved. In all of his years of travelling with Jason, the only way to beat him was to outwit him, which was a nearly impossible task, but he had managed to do so before. Willie would have to stay sharp and sleep with one eye open to survive this.

Willie was sure now that Jason would not hesitate to kill anyone at the first sign of straying from his rules. The prize was the only thing sacred to the captain, and not a single soul would be allowed to live to stand in his way of getting it, not even Willie.

When all the men were assembled together inside the cabin, Jason stood at the bottom of the stairway, ready to give orders for their next move.


	7. Chapter 7

ACT VII

The vessel dropped anchor inside the alcove, and the crew worked on setting up camp. The captain's orders were strict: No matter how cold it was, no one was to build a fire or do anything that might draw attention to their hideout, and all aboard were to stay in the captain's sight.

As first mate, Jason had left Willie in charge of provisions, and he got to work right away. Food had to be rationed off to one meal per day to ensure a safe return trip. However, Willie decided to try and gain a little favor with the crew. Although he never did trust them, he worked to gain their favor. If he was going to be along for the ride, he was going to make sure to build allies rather than make enemies.

Rather than being at the mercy of the food aboard the ship, Willie decided to be a little more practical. He had a few fishing rods on board, so he sacrificed one can of the Collins cannery fish meal to use as bait. The captain watched as Willie and the crew caught several fish with the bait. Using the ice in the alcove as a means to preserve them, Willie packed the ice and fish inside an old toolbox.

The crew began taking a liking to Willie, although he never let his guard down. He passed the time by taking care of them, but he tried as he could to watch Jason like a hawk. Jason was more sly than he had ever known him to be, so he had to be ready for anything. Willie's heart often sank whenever he thought of Roxy, and he couldn't imagine how she must be dealing with all of this.

Was she all alone? Would she be hounded by reporters or the sheriff's department? Would she stay with friends? If so, could she keep everything she knew to herself? Would local townspeople gossip and tear her up inside at the coffee shop?

It was all that Willie could do to stay there. To make sure the motor would stay running, Willie had to start the motor everyday and let it run for several minutes. He looked back at Jason and the crew everytime, and it was all he could do to not move out on his own and maroon them there. His conscience went to war everyday when the motor started. He knew the crew would have no chance of survival inside there, and all of them would die long, slow deaths with no food or fresh water. He also felt an obligation to look out for Jason that he just couldn't shake off, just as he did when he helped him get away after Barnabas believed he had killed him. No, Willie's gut was telling him to stay. He couldn't chicken out. Not that he could trust Jason much farther than he could throw an anchor, but, if the payoff was anything like Jason said, he had to stay. He had to do it for himself and Roxanne. He had to show strength. No guts, no glory.

Willie's mind would wander often and drift to deep thoughts of worry toward her, but the nature of the situation would pull him right back to where he was and strengthen his will to survive and return home to her before Christmas just as he promised her.

The crew took turns with sleep cycles inside the cabin, and, when it was Jason's turn, Willie and Hawkins were to stand guard outside the door. Several days went by, and some of the crew members were growing restless. Arguments often broke out about how long they should stay inside, but Jason insisted they stay at least another week. On the outside, they could hear whirring of helicopter blades searching the area for any signs of Willie's ship. Each day, the number of times grew less and less.

As the crew whispered and talked, Willie overheard some mentions of plans that Willie was a more suitable captain than Jason, while some argued that they could do better than anyone there. Rather than running to Jason with each grumble of who should be in charge, Willie kept these things to himself. He knew that this would only cause a ruckus and would probably evolve into fights and shooting. He might never make it out if that were the case.

The men were growing restless and anxious to move forward to the captain's treasure, but restlessness and frigid temperatures for nearly two weeks could dissolve the reason of many strong-willed mugs like these. Willie could feel it. Mutiny and betrayal was permeating the air, and it was a strong stench.

* * *

On a television screen inside the Collinsport Coffee Shop, Roxanne listened to repeat cycles of the local news everyday. Not knowing how to deal with Willie's absence, she did all she could to keep herself busy. She tried staying home, but couldn't stand the space left behind by Willie. She had no idea what she was supposed to do, so she focused on what she could do. At least there, her boss would run out reporters, any customers who persistently upset her with an endless line of nosy questions stemming from faux concern, and men who tried to take advantage of Willie's absence with their "comfort".

Pastors came by to offer their condolences and prayers, and, while she appreciated the concern, Roxanne had to callous herself to the sentiments of the townspeople to keep from falling apart. She learned quickly who was genuine and who was not. Several people invited her to stay with them or to have dinner with them, but Roxanne couldn't bring herself to accept the offers. As long as she stayed there during the day, she could focus on what was happening, and maybe she would hear that Willie was rescued and on his way back to town.

Roxanne sought a place to stay that was comfortable and distant enough that she could feel away. She just couldn't bring herself to go home anymore without Willie being there. She kept holding out for the time that they would go back home together. Luckily, Roxanne had a friend from school who worked as a custodian at a hotel near Logansport, so she decided to reside there until Willie returned. Her friend pulled some strings with the hotel manager and got her one of the nicest rooms inside. Night after night, Roxanne would drive back to the hotel after putting in double-shifts at the coffee shop.

Inside her hotel room, there was a calendar hanging loosely on the wall. Roxanne crossed each day out with an ink pen she kept inside her apron. With each day that passed closer to Christmas, she smiled and did her best to remain hopeful that she could see Willie any day now. With that excitement, however, was a harsh slap of doubt and sadness that was equally if not more strong. She cried herself to sleep many nights, and she gripped her pillow tightly.

On this day, Roxanne would hear news that would be more than she was able to handle. After nearly two weeks of waiting, a report was broadcast over the news. The sheriff stood at a podium and announced that the search and rescue mission was unsuccessful, and that the search was being reduced to a find and recover status. Announcing that the police force could no longer spare the time, manpower, and resources exhausted to continue searching several times per day, there would be one helicopter search per day to look for any wreckage that may lead to the whereabouts of the gang that hijacked the Willie's boat.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Roxanne threw down her apron and ran outside to her vehicle and sped away. Her tires spinning and sliding across the snow-covered roads, she pressed the gas as hard as she could and drove toward the hotel where she was staying. When she stopped, she began pounding her fists on the dash and steering wheel, screaming and cursing. She had finally broken, and, once the adrenaline had left, she sat there in her seat crying. After nearly an hour had passed, she went up to her hotel room and looked at the calendar, crossing another day out.

Today was December 19th. Only days left to wait now. Would Willie be back?

* * *

Opening the cabin door after finishing his sleep cycle, Jason announced, "Mates, fall in!"

The crew quickly gathered together in a straight line, facing their captain.

"Tonight, we're ready to push off. It'll be a long night ahead, but the time is now. The Collinsport police have lessened the number o' fly-bys over here, and the time has come for us to be shufflin' off from here. We'll have to move at night. If we hurry, we can make it there to the spit of land just before the sunrise. Ya all been a loyal crew, and now the time has come for us all to collect our payday. By the mornin', you'll all get what ya deserve! Everythin' we worked so hard for has finally come! Let's get busy and get everythin' ready! The time has come for us to share, and share alike!"

A spirited collective "Aye!" echoed throughout the walls of the alcove.

Willie felt satisfied with himself that he hadn't marooned the other crew, but at the same time, he felt a deep pit in his stomach. He knew that there was unrest and treachery brewing in the minds of the crew, and he had to be ready at any moment for anything. Unaware if Jason could sense it too, Willie thought it best to not say anything since he was among the named to replace him as captain. The last thing he needed was to break Jason's trust and make him think that he was going to try and take over.

As the night sky fell, the motor sputtered to life and the crew was on their way. There was definitely an excitement in the air among the crew as they saw the open sky for the first time in about two weeks. The captain stood at the front, Hawkins navigated the ship from inside the cabin, and Willie stood by Jason's side as the alcove disappeared behind them from the horizon.

Although the snow was falling, the wind was calm and all was quiet. The crew was focused on their jobs, and were busy looking straight ahead. Jason didn't like this quiet very much. He could only see so much that was going on with the sky being dark over the open water, so he decided to take control of the situation.

"Ahoy, lads! Why are ya so quiet when we got a king's ransom out there for our claimin'? Let's all join together for a little song, aye? Sing it loud, mates!"

 _Fifteen men on the dead man's chest, yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!_

 _Drink and the devil had done for the rest, yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!_

Willie knew exactly what he was doing. Trying to rally them together, Jason was trying to build their excitement and occupy their simple minds with song rather than ways of plotting against him when they learned the location of the treasure. The excitement was cut short, however.

Three hours after the ship had departed, Willie caught sight of an unmarked vessel moving in.

"Jason, look over there! Somebody's comin'!"

Taking out a pair of binoculars from his coat, Jason looked over towards the intruders.

"It's the Keepers of the Code, lad! I don't know how they found us. Someone must 'a' tipped them off." Jason exclaimed, turning angrily toward his crew. "Evasive maneuvers, lads! Which one o' ya took an action against your captain! I wanna know now! Face me like a man!"

In an almost synchronous motion and sound, two gun hammers clicked back and pointed at Jason, Willie, and the other crew members. One of the pistol holders was Hawkins.

"Don't move...captain." Hawkins snarled. "We're turnin' you all over to the Keepers. They promised us our own ships and wealth once we get the treasure if we delivered ya alive to 'em. That treasure belongs to them! They need it to be great once again, and we're gonna lead them!"

The four remaining crew of Jason, Willie, and two others could only stand still and watch as the Keepers approached.

"Jason, what're we gonna do?" Willie asked, looking desperately at his captain. Jason's eyes never left contact with the approaching ship.

"I don't know, lad. I wasn't ready for this. Just don't make no sudden moves or go losin' your temper. It's me they want, so let me do all the talkin'."

Within minutes, the approaching ship was parallel to Willie's, and a plank extended, connecting a walkway between them. Three men in black clothing made their way across and boarded the ship, surrounding Jason and Willie.


	8. Chapter 8

ACT VIII

"Well, how do ya like that? Shanghaied by me own shipmates. I expected some o' them to turn on me once we got there, but...I didn't think they woulda told the Keepers where we were before we even left Collinsport." mumbled Jason to Willie as he saw the three Keepers surrounding him.

"Captain Clarney," the leader of the Keepers spoke in a husky voice. "We've been waitin' to catch up to ya for a long time. You've murdered our own, and now yer plannin' on takin' what should belong to us. Did ya really think you could escape from us unscathed?"

The leader stood slightly taller than Jason, and he moved toe-to-toe with him.

"Master O'Keefe..." Jason boldly stated as he looked his opponent dead in the eyes. "What belongs to you is nothin' I have. I paid for that map with me own hand! I murdered one o' your members, yes, but that thereby excommunicated me from the likes of your band, leavin' me free to keep it all for meself and share with my crew as I see fit."

Master O'Keefe's voice boomed and made Jason flinch. "You were never formally excommunicated because ya failed to appear before us as per the code we keep, so therefore, all ya own or stole belongs to us. Includin' this ship, and everyone on board."

O'Keefe turned his eyes to Willie. With his many buckles rattling as he took each step, he looked down at Willie. "Yer the first mate, aren't ya? He made a deal to take yer ship? Well, now it's all ours, mutt. However, I'm not a cruel man, am I, mates? I'm sure we can find some use for you...perhaps."

O'Keefe turned back to his other two mates who stood there silent and motionless. With a quick nod from their leader, the two Keepers grabbed the two remaining crew members and took them across the planks to their ship. All that was left on board now was Jason, Willie, the three mutineers, and O'Keefe.

"Now, Clarney. Here is the way it will be. You will take us to the treasure you're seekin', and from there you will taken back to answer for your betrayal to us. You have no other alternatives."

"If I refuse? Or...maybe I forgot where it was."Jason sneered.

"Then..." O'Keefe brandished a pistol, and the barrel's end rested against Willie's temple. "Then yer first mate will share in your fate right before your eyes."

"Yer makin' a huge mistake, O'Keefe. That boy..." Jason hesitated, but decided to tell them everything. "That boy knows the location also. I told him right before we went. Ya pull that trigger, and you'll be blowin' out a brain that knows where the treasure is. Why don't ya take him instead? He's younger than I am, and he'd make a better captain than me."

"I don't think yer in any positions to be makin' trades with me, Clarney. Your time has past, and now that I know the man knows the location, I suppose we have no more use for you, do we?"

Stroking his thick red beard as if contemplating, O'Keefe called out to his men. "Aye! What say we carry out this judgment now, mates? This first mate knows the location, thereby freeing us of any need for keepin' Clarney with us. What say ye, mates? Do we want him dead or alive?"

Willie's eyes opened as he felt the pistol barrel leaving his temple, and he saw it now aimed point blank at Jason's face.

"Master O'Keefe, we must honor the judgment of the black spot delivered. It's judgment is always final." Hawkins respectfully suggested.

"Aye, that we must. Alright then...Captain Hawkins. Until it is refitted properly, you are now Captain of this piece of junk. With Clarney's execution, you will take his place."

"Aye, sir. Thank you." Hawkins obliged with a respectful tone.

"Now...shall we begin?" O'Keefe's eyes danced with excitement as he pulled back the hammer of the pistol.

Feeling a set of arms around each of his shoulders, Willie squirmed in vain to break free and stop them.

"If that's the way yer gonna play it, I want my final request now." Jason ordered. "The code forbids a captain's execution without offerin' one last wish." Jason interjected. "And I want mine now."

O'Keefe's pistol never moved and stayed locked on target as he spoke. "Oh, do ya now? And just what will it be that you want, Clarney?"

"One last supper with me first mate. Frankly, my stomach is sick of traitors, and I want it to be filled one last time with the company of my most loyal mate. Just one last simple pleasure before takin' my life. Surely there ain't no harm in such a simple request." Jason bargained.

Willie stared at O'Keefe, who stood motionless and held his position. "Hawkins! Follow them into the cabin and keep a watchful eye on them." O'Keefe's tone was sharp. "I'll give ya fifteen minutes."

With a light-hearted smile, Jason nodded. "Ah...I knew there was still a wee bit o' compass-"

"Move!" O' Keefe interrupted sharply. "You have fourteen minutes and thirty seconds now, Clarney."

Without hesitation, Willie and Jason were led at gunpoint down into the cabin. Willie looked at Hawkins, then directed his stare toward Jason who was seated at the table. "Wh...whaddya want, Cap'n?" Willie asked, his stomach nauseous and full of pits.

"Ah! Let me go out with a bellyful of delicious Collins cannery fish...courtesy of the finest woman to ever grace this earth, Ms Liz Stoddard! I think Liz would be mighty pleased to know that she was feedin' me my very last meal before getting done in, eh? Be quick lad, time's a-wastin'!"

Willie opened the can and fried the fish on the stove as quickly as he could. "This ain't gonna taste too good, but, I guess we've had worse, huh? Thanks a lot for sticking up for me and trying to sell me off." Willie grumbled as he slammed the plate down angrily.

"Yer welcome, Willie. I saved yer life, boy. They might o' killed ya on the spot since ya didn't know about them. I had to make ya valuable to them to save your life, lad. Otherwise, we probly wouldn't be havin' this conversation and they woulda been tossin' ya over to feed your remains to the sharks." Jason defended. "Now sit with me. Would ya like to share?"

Willie stared at him. "No, thanks. I ain't hungry."

"Ah, a pity. Well, as the Good Book says, waste not. At least I think it does. Been awhile since I read it. If it doesn't say it, it should." The clinking of dinnerware scraping across the plate as Jason quickly ate resounded throughout the cabin. Willie had no idea how Jason could remain so calm at the moment of his death. Shoving his empty plate in front of him, Jason patted his stomach and reached inside his coat for a cigar.

"Two minutes left. Just enough time for a few good puffs. Now if ya don't mind, both o' ya leave me alone. I want one final moment alone to say me prayers and enjoy what I can of this cigar. Tell O'Keefe I'll be right up."

Willie nodded and went upstairs with Hawkins following behind him. Right on time, Jason emerged from the cabin and walked to the crossplank before turning around. "Thank you, Master O'Keefe. Now, you have my permission."

Annoyed by Jason's arrogance, O'Keefe reloaded his pistol and walked toward Jason, holding the barrel between his eyes.

 _BOOM!_

An explosion from the cabin rocked the ship and knocked everyone to the deck. Hawkins was blown into the ocean as well as one of the other mutineers. Jason, as quickly as he could, picked himself up and looked for the crossplank to board the Keepers' vessel. Willie caught sight of O'Keefe's gun on the ground and snatched it up. The other two Keepers emerged from their own ship and drew their weapons to kill Jason as he tried to cross. In an instant reflex, Willie fired the pistol in his hand, killing one of them. He pulled back the hammer again, firing at the other in rapid succession and knocking him overboard.

O'Keefe ran across the planks, but the weight of the large man running was too much strain and the planks slid and cracked beneath his weight, plunging him into the icy water below. Jason and Willie looked over the side and saw O'Keefe struggling to stay afloat in the frigid waters. Knowing he couldn't leave him alive, Jason took the gun from Willie and pointed it toward his former master. The roar of the flame and crackling of oil burning around Willie's ship could not silence the loud boom of the pistol shot. Jason's aim was true as the bullet pierced into O'Keefe's chest, and his body's dead weight was now floating face down on the water's surface.

"No time to stay here starin', lad. We've gotta get movin'!" yelled Jason as he hurried quickly to the helm of the Keepers' vessel. Jason shouted over the inferno. "We've gotta make it outta here and reach the sandbar before sunrise. We're already behind, but I think we have a better chance o' makin' it in this ship, lad. The Keepers are all dead now, and nobody else is standin' in our way except Father Time. I'll steer us back to where we should be headed."

Willie stood still as Jason maneuvered the ship around and back on course. Feeling his eyes burning with tears as a heavy weight of despair pressed heavily on his chest, he watched his ship being devoured by flame and reduced to a fragmented pile of wreckage. Standing silently in a respectful manner, Willie watched the wreckage and smoke slowly disappear over the horizon.

The other two crew members joined Jason and Willie on the deck as they moved steadily along the ocean . "What'll we do now, Cap'n?" one of them asked.

"I suppose ya better be gettin' yer rest and savin' yer strength for when we reach the sandbar. I figure we got about three more hours to go. At first light, we ought to be pullin' in." Jason replied. "There ought to be some rum down inside the holdings somewhere. Feel free to warm yourselves a bit, but not too much. Can't have ya fallin' asleep on me."

The two crewman made their way down, leaving Willie and Jason alone on the deck.

"Ah, they've never known the meanin' of the word moderation. I suspect they'll not be much good to us for a little while, which gives us a chance to talk, Willie." Jason spoke as he turned back to look at his first mate.

"Yeah...I guess so." Willie mumbled.

"Don't ya be starin' at me with them lost puppy eyes, boy! I know yer ship meant a lot to ya, but there was no other way out." Jason reprimanded.

"What did you do, Jason? How did you make that explosion?" Willie asked.

"Well, lad, a good trickster never reveals all his secrets, " Jason paused. "...but I knew that yer stove was gas, and gettin' down there was the only way I could access it. It was a gamble for sure, but aye...how it worked! Let's just say that little cigar I had on me had a little more bang to it than normal. It was a wee stick o' dynamite that I had with me that I was going to use on the dock before we pulled out. However, there were too many people around to use it. I hadn't counted on the town growin' that much since I was there last, and I couldn't bring meself to killin' all them people. I've never killed a man unless he was tryin' to kill me first. Ya might not've known this, boy, but ya left the stove on after ya sat down with me. In the future, ya might want to be a little more careful with yer next ship. I just hope ya had her insured, boy."

Willie's temper flashed and he grabbed Jason's collar. "But you coulda killed us all instead!"

Jason retorted, grabbing Willie's shoulders and pushing him back. "If I wanted ya dead, I coulda done it long ago and saved meself the trouble o' havin' you here! I had to pull a lotta strings and take a lotta chances havin' you here with me, boy! I coulda left ya workin' yer guts out back there for mere peanuts and scrapin' by, but I gave ya a chance, Willie. A chance for ya to be somebody."

"By blackmailin' me and threatenin' me and Roxy?!" Willie felt his fists clenching.

"Desperate measures, lad. They were after me,and without yer help, neither one of us would be standin' here now. I knew that if the Keepers ever caught up to me, the others would tuck their tails and turn on me. But not you, Willie. You proved yer loyalty to me back when I saw ya tryin' to kill Hawkins. I knew ya still had it in ya, especially when ya fired back at them in our little skirmish back there. As always, ya couldn't let nothin' happen to your old pal, could ya?" Jason smiled.

"Yeah, I guess..." Willie turned halfway, and then swung as hard as he could , hitting Jason in the jaw and causing his body to spin as fell toward the deck.

Jason rose up, and straightened his coat and stared in shock. Anger burned in his eyes, but then softened. "I'm going to let that one slide. Normally there's a stiff penalty for strikin' yer captain, but I'm willin' to let bygones be. Truth is, I need ya, Willie."

"Why should I help you?" Willie gritted his teeth.

"Because, lad..." Jason's voice grew earnest. "Like I said, neither of us would be alive right now if ya hadn't helped me. I only got one hand now, and my wits aren't enough to sustain me against these two with us. I suspect they'll probably turn on me when we dig up our prize. Rest assured , they'll kill us both to take the treasure from us, then probably each other. Alone we don't stand a chance, but together, we can take them. One last time, lad, are ya with me?"

Willie's anger slowly burned. "Ya got us in a real mess, didn't ya? What makes you so sure that I won't turn on you, too?"

Jason stretched out his arms and gave Willie a sly wink. "Because...I have faith in ya."

Willie turned his back to Jason, and, leaning on the side of the deck, looked up at the cloudy night sky. He knew Jason was right. The only way he could survive was to side with him one last time.

Jason was losing control of the board, and now he couldn't win the game without him, and Jason wasn't hiding this fact from him. Knowing that the only way he could make it home to Roxanne in time for Christmas was to ally with Jason to the end, he turned back to face his worst best friend.

"Alright, Jason..." Willie nodded. "I'll help ya. I ain't happy about it, and I just want you to know something before I say anything else. You make me sick, and I hope I never see you again after this. But I guess we don't have much choice but to stick together to the end. Whatever it takes to get me back home to Roxy, I'll do it."

"I guess I can't blame ya too much, lad. I'll take what sentiment I can from that. Hopefully, by the time this is over, you'll feel differently and see how your old pal really likes ya. And, as promised, I'll have ya back by Christmas roastin' marshmallows and sippin' a good ol' cup o' hot cocoa." Jason smiled, trying to make a play on Willie's sentiment.

"Yeah, whatever..." Willie mumbled.

Over the horizon, a glimmer of light started to light up the sky and shine on the ocean. The two men stood silently for the remainder of the voyage, taking in the smell of wintery air mixed with the mist of the salty sea. Feeling the warmth of the sun was refreshing to Willie as he stood there on deck shivering from the cold.

Scrambling up to the deck, the two crewman emerged, slightly enebriated and unsteady from the rum as their captain bellowed a hearty, "Land Ho!"

As the ship approached the massive sandbar, Willie threw the anchor over the port side and lowered the ladder for all of them to climb down.

Jason went first, and he waited for his crew of three to join him. "Alright lads, this is it. We've finally made it here. I can't thank ya enough for being loyal to your captain, and now it's time for ya to get everything ya deserve. Now...follow me."


	9. Chapter 9

ACT IX

The morning sun had broken the grip of gloom and melancholy of night that dominated Willie's mind and reason. As the crew walked onward, Willie felt a sense of renewed vigor. After a long and dangerous journey, he knew that it was coming to an end. Exactly what end, he had no idea. All he knew was that, one way or another, this whole ordeal was almost over. His shoes wet and ice cold from the ocean, Willie pressed forward to stay by Jason's side. His throat felt sore and scratchy, and he had a chill that he just couldn't shake off. Nevertheless, he stayed right by his captain's side.

For over a mile they walked on this enormous sandbar, passing through small wades of water that separated some of the larger stretches of sand. Every now and then, Jason would stop and hold up his hand, signaling the crew to stop. Taking sunsights and getting his bearings, Jason carefully moved with steady paces to make sure he was leading them in the right direction.

Nearing the end of the sandbar, Jason stopped again. Only this time, he walked about twenty feet to his left. Where they stood, the sandbar was about thirty yards wide. "Willie! Move up about three paces and turn two paces to the West." Jason ordered.

Willie did just that. He stood still while Jason walked in a huge circle around him, counting his steps as he moved. "Alright, lads. It's buried right in this area somewhere in this circle. We only got one pick to start diggin' since all of our supplies were lost in me other ship. I suggest ya all three start diggin'. Two o' ya by hand and the other will get the pick. We don't have time to flip coins to decide it fairly, so I choose to my discretion."

Tossing the pick in the air to one of the crew members, Willie gave Jason a cross look. Why did he have to dig by hand?

With a grand gesture, Jason led the men in song. "Sing it loud, mates!"

 _"Fifteen men on the dead man's chest..."_

They all joined in. _"Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!"_

Jason continued, _"Drink and the devil had done for the rest..."_

(All) _"Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!"_

Trying to be inconspicuous as they all worked and sang, Jason paced back and forth by each man, making sure they were working and giving it their all. When he passed by Willie, he knelt down and whispered. "I gave the pick to him because I need ya to have both hands free if things suddenly turn South on me. There ain't a split second that can be wasted, lad. You'll see."

Jason continued leading the singing to restore and rally his tiny crew to keep working harder and faster, however Willie noticed something and thought to himself. "Everytime he wants to pull somethin' slick, he always waits 'til everyone is preoccupied with singin'. Just like when we left Collinsport and he started that big fire when them Christmas songs was bein' sung, and when we was in that alcove and we started singin'. This time ain't gonna be no different. He's doin' it again. I'll bet he's gonna pull somethn' as soon as it's found."

Keeping his eyes open for sudden moves, Willie kept pressing on in excitement, imagining finding an old oakwood chest filled with shiny gold pirate coins and necklaces and jewels galore. Maybe even more than one. This was supposed to be the biggest score Jason had ever found.

Several hours went by with no success. Agitation of being empty-handed fueled determination and kept pushing the three to work harder. Jason stood by shouting orders to keep digging the sand deeper before trying other spots. The sun became overcast and snow began falling heavily, which made digging much harder on everyone who was already shivering from the sting of icy winds and their stomachs were cramped from hunger.

Willie couldn't help wondering if Jason really knew what he was talking about, or maybe that he had miscalculated and they were digging in the wrong place. One thing was certain, though. The other two crew members were getting as equally frustrated with this and were getting ready to challenge their captain. After six hours, the crewman with the pick called out to the captain.

"Aye, I've hit somethin', Cap'n! I don't know what it is, but this ain't no treasure chest. It's just a little trinket box." He reached for it, blowing sand from ivory grooves decorating the wooden box top. After finding a lock, he unsheathed a knife to slide into the groove and pop it open.

"Fool! Gimme that box! You'll break the goods inside!" Jason shouted as he snatched it out of the crewman's hand. Studying the look of the box, Jason held it high, checking the bottom of the box. "Aye, it's gypsy alright. I can see by the markin's on the bottom. Could it be?"

Willie felt a sick feeling in his stomach. Surely, this wasn't it! He had come all this way for a trinket box?! Willie wasn't stupid, and he knew that there was no treasure worth a king's ransom that could fit inside a little box like that.

The other crewman who had been digging by hand lost his temper and made a rush toward the captain. Swearing and cursing, he swore that he would kill them all and take it himself as he ran toward the box. Willie stepped in front of Jason and grabbed the pistol from his holster, but the other crewman intercepted his mate and tackled him to the ground. Willie aimed Jason's gun, but the two men kept rolling around and he couldn't get a good shot. Before Willie could fire, the mad crewman had fallen into one of the sinkholes, and his opponent gripped the pick. With a mighty swing, the pick was buried deep inside the man's skull, killing him instantly.

Willie kept Jason's pistol raised as the sole remaining crewman approached Jason, then he lowered it slowly. Both men's eyes turned to the captain as he tucked the box under his arm and pulled a small key from his tattered coat. With a simple click, the box opened and Jason slowly opened it.

With a lighthearted chuckle that grew into a sinister laughter, Jason tucked the box underneath his arm again and pulled the hook from where his right hand once was, revealing a scarred knob at the end of his forearm. With his left hand, he reached inside the box and pulled out a gloved hand that had a large ring on one of the fingers. "This is it!"

Both Willie and the crewman stood in shock. Willie was convinced that Jason had gone completely mad as he watched Jason slide the hand toward where his right hand used to be. The fingers began moving and Jason held his new hand high, laughing maniacally. Willie stood still as the crewman went back to grab the pick and use on Jason. As he ran towards Jason with the weapon wielded, a giant hand materialized in front of the man and covered his face.

His screams were muffled as he tried pulling at the phantom hand that was crushing his skull slowly. He collapsed backwards into one of the deep holes that had been dug in the sand and was suddenly silent. Willie ran towards the body and saw the dead man's face disfigured beyond belief and recognition.

Turning back toward with his eyes wide open in fear and his breathing panicked, Willie felt paralyzed as he looked at Jason, who was smiling and laughing uncontrollably. "You did it, boy! Ya came through for me, and now look at this! The hand of Count Petofi!"

Willie couldn't speak.

"He was the greatest trickster to live before me, and a powerful warlock. Aye, with this hand, I've become immortal, lad! Eternal life and more power than anyone could ever dream of! I'd say that's worth more than a king's ransom, wouldn't ya say?" Jason asked as he began walking toward Willie.

Willie raised the pistol, but the giant hand materialized and knocked it from Willie's grip before he could fire a shot.

"Is that how ya repay me, boy? After all I've done for ya? Now...there's a little score to settle between the two of us, eh?" Jason began to chuckle as he moved closer to Willie. There was nowhere to go, and no way to fight back.


	10. Chapter 10

FINAL ACT/EPILOGUE

"Wh...what're you gonna do?" Willie asked as he backed away slowly. "If yer gonna kill me, I ain't gonna go quietly!" He clinched his fists and raised them, ready to start swinging.

Jason smiled. "Ya just don't get it, do ya, lad? You still think I brought ya all this way just to kill ya? Relax, Willie. It's Christmas Eve mornin'. I got somethin' else in mind for ya."

Jason removed his captain's hat and placed it on Willie's head. "Merry Christmas, Willie. You're free now."

Willie was puzzled. "What?"

"The whole point o' this trip was for this right here. I traded me right hand for this. I learned about this hand years ago, and I heard that it was last seen near Collinsport. I spent a lotta time plannin' this little expedition of ours, and it played out beautifully, wouldn't ya say?"

"I...I don't understand any o' this, Jason! Why me? If ya knew where it was all along, why'd ya drag me into this?" Willie objected.

"Because lad, I knew that no other soul on this earth would stand by me and protect me like you did. Think o' all the enemies we made. Even when there were fallin' outs between us, ya kept comin' back because you're loyal like that. Even a vampire didn't stop ya from helpin' out yer old pal, did it? Your job was to protect me along the way, and I had faith in ya. Even when things got hairy and there were some unexpected happenin's like the Keepers showin' up, why, ya always came through for me. Now, the time has come for your share of the treasure, Willie."

Reaching inside his coat, Jason pulled out an old envelope. "Here, Willie. Take it."

"What is it?" Willie carefully took the envelope from Jason's hand and opened it. Inside, there were papers with account numbers and statements to a bank account in Sweden. "What's this about? Hey, what are all these?"

"When I first came to Collinsport with ya about twenty years ago, I arranged for Liz to open a Swiss bank account for me, and I demanded a hefty deposit to start it off with. Over the course o' my travels, I deposited a lot of my profits in there. Soon after, though, I realized somethin'. All the money in the world couldn't buy back my time. I was growin' old, and that money wasn't doin' me no good, and I had no one to leave it to and no estate to invest it in. All I could think of for the longest time was...well, how I'd ultimately let ya down, lad." Jason placed his hand on Willie's shoulder.

"We've been on all these adventures, and here I had promised ya all these payoffs and scores, and it seemed as though, when it came time for us to collect, somethin' would always fall through and we'd leave empty-handed, and always lookin' for the next big heist. I never did come through for ya, lad, until today." Jason turned his direction toward the open sea. "This world is yours now, Willie. You're no longer bound to me, to Mr Collins, or the whole Collins family. That's what this hat symbolizes, Willie, and that's why I gave it to ya. You're captain of your own ship, now. Do with the money as you please, but I would play it safe and make it count, lad. Ya ain't gonna get a second chance like this ever again, boy."

Willie felt his mood lighten, and that same old loyal feeling came back to the surface. "Ya know, you really are some piece o' work. I often wondered what my life would be like if ya hadn't saw me that day sittin' on them stairs outside."

Jason smiled. "It's been fun, hasn't it? What a way to go out, eh?" He dug his fist into Willie's arm. "I had my sunset voyage, and our adventures together end here, lad. It's time we start goin' our own ways. You've got a lotta adventures to look for with that pretty girl. I can imagine soon you'll be adoptin' little ones and they'll be crawlin' all over you wantin' to play pirates and swashbucklers just like their old man used to be, eh?" Jason laughed as he started walking away from Willie.

Willie nodded. "Maybe. Seems like now every kid is into these crazy things like Ghostbusters and these reptile ninja turtle things."

Jason scoffed. "Well, the characters may change, but the spirit is still the same. The good guys vs the bad guys. Lots of adventure to be had either way, and you're gonna have plenty of them now. Greater adventures than we ever had, Willie. Now, we gotta get you back home. Your little wife must be worried sick about ya. There's no time to be wastin' lad."

"How am I gonna get back? You must have some place to go. You can't just drop me off at Collinsport." Willie asked.

"I'm not leavin' here, Willie." Jason said firmly. "At least, not yet. The ship is yours. I've got no use for it anymore. I can make my way here. I've still got a lotta discoverin' to do about what this hand is capable of. Perhaps it's best that I stay here for awhile and learn to master it a little. Come on, let me walk you back."

The two men walked back to the ship together reminiscing of adventures they had and discussing Willie's plans for the future. When they finally reached where the ship had thrown anchor, Jason spoke up. "Good luck, lad, and...Merry Christmas to ya."

The two shook hands. "Uh, M..Merry Christmas, Jason. Will we ever see you again?"

Jason threw his head back. "Perhaps...in some form or another. Don't look back in life anymore, Willie. Keep lookin' forward. The best times are ahead o' ya now. You're at no one's mercy or playin' by anyone else's rules. You make them now, Captain Loomis."

"You bet." Willie started climbing up the ladder onto the deck. The motor sputtered to life, and Willie began moving out away from the shore. Waving as Jason's figure grew smaller and smaller, Willie took Jason's advice. Keep looking forward, and don't look back. With a new outlook on life and the papers he held in his hand, Willie couldn't wait to make it back to Roxanne. This ship was made much better than the one he had, so he knew that he could make it home much sooner. By his reckoning, he should be home by first light Christmas morning.

* * *

Roxanne awoke at 6:00am that morning, and she sat up in her hotel bed alone. It was Christmas day, and Willie hadn't returned. She had gotten her hopes up that Willie would be right beside her when she opened her eyes, but she knew that was too much to expect. The coffee shop was going to be open today, serving Christmas dinner to the guests staying at the Collinsport Inn, so she had to get ready.

Putting her best brave face on, she drove through the snow-covered streets in somber silence. This was what Christmas was going to be now. Empty. Lonely.

She pulled up in front of the coffee shop and unlocked the doors. Starting her morning routine, she turned the TV on, but couldn't care less of what was on. Probably sappy Christmas movies and songs about joy and happiness. She just wasn't in the mood. She turned the channel to the local news to catch the weather for the day. As the weather report ended, the anchor announced that, after the commercial break, a reporter would be speaking with Elizabeth Stoddard concerning the disappearance of "the man named William Loomis, the fishing captain who was taken hostage by the men suspected of sabotaging the Christmas celebration earlier this month."

Watching as the interviewer thanked Elizabeth for her time, Roxanne's eyes were glued to the set, as well as the patrons inside the shop. Her sincere comments and sympathy towards Willie made Roxanne's heart feel as if layers of stone were slowly peeling away.

However, her sentiment was soon lost by what she saw on screen next...

* * *

The lights of the Collinsport waterfront became visible and Willie could hardly contain himself. The snow was falling softly and blanketed the pier and rooftops of the buildings he could see. Suddenly, he felt like he understood how George Bailey from _It's A Wonderful Life_ felt when he saw Bedford Falls again after his encounter with Clarence, his guardian angel. Wasting no time, he pulled up to the closest pier and hopped up the ladder and ran as fast as he could across the pier and just decided to go with that feeling. Still wearing his captain's hat given to him by Jason, he raised his arms and shouted to the top of his lungs. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

He slid in the snow as he ran past the waterfront into the main part of town covered with hanging Christmas lights of all different colors and garland to match. "Merry Christmas!" He waved at the townspeople as he ran down the street shouting this same greeting over and over. "Merry Christmas Blue Whale! Merry Christmas Collinsport! Merry Christmas Cannery!"

When he caught sight of the cannery, he saw Elizabeth talking to a news crew. Running toward them like a madman, Willie jumped in front of the camera. "Merry Christmas channel 3! Merry Christmas Missus Stoddard! I love you!" He grabbed her and gave her a huge kiss in front of the camera, and then he hopped away like a giddy drunken man.

* * *

On the TV set, Roxanne saw a bearded man yelling Merry Christmas, running in front of the camera, and kissing Ms Stoddard. She screamed out when she recognized who it was and ran out into the street, leaving the door wide open.

* * *

"Roxy! Roxy!" Willie shouted as he ran down the streets, hoping to find her in the crowds as he made his way toward the coffee shop. He continued running down the streets shouting "Merry Christmas" to everyone as he ran by.

As he rounded the street corner, he saw a ginger-haired woman running just as fast as he was on the opposite end of the street. "Roxy!"

"Willie!" they ran as fast as they could and he picked her up, swinging her around kissing her over and over. They could hardly catch their breath, and they held each other so tightly in the middle of the street. Cars were stopped behind them on both sides, but they didn't care.

"Everything's alright! Everything's the way it should be now! I have so much to tell ya! You won't believe what happened to me! I'm home! I'm home! I'm never goin' away from ya ever again!"

He held her tightly and rocked her in his arms as the townspeople watching stood by, applauding and cheering for them.

* * *

EPILOGUE

 _(Twenty years later)_

 _:_ "And that, boys and girls, is how I saved Christmas!" Willie proudly held his head high. "The End."

Roxanne hugged him tightly as he sat in his favorite chair in their house as his two adopted children, one boy and one girl, sat with their spouses and applauded as he finished telling the story.

His son looked at him and shook his head. "Dad, you tell this story every year, and every year Hawkins gets bigger and those pirates get more ugly and menacing. So how big was Hawkins this time?"

Willie held his hands high in the air. "Eight feet tall! He was a big ol' man! He had fangs and tattoos, but I got 'im!" Willie boasted as he laughed. "No, but he was a big guy."

"Uh-huh, sure he was, dad." his daughter joined in. "One thing you never told us, though. Whatever happened to Jason, and if he gave you all that money, why didn't you just quit working as a fisherman and go take Mom to Beverly Hills and raise us there?"

"Yeah, silly Willie, why didn't you take me there?" Roxanne chided.

"I couldn't take a chance on ya takin' that money and runnin' off with some movie star. At least here, I'm STILL the best lookin' guy in town." Willie tipped his hat. "And I think I look pretty good with this on. "

"Yes, he does. Your dad looks dashing in that captain's hat." His daugter-in-law chimed in. After exchanging gifts and celebrating together over dinner, his family drove off to their own homes to celebrate, leaving Willie and Roxanne alone.

"Do you think they'll ever believe it, Willie?" Roxanne asked.

"Ah...it doesn't matter. Sometimes I can't even believe it. Better for them to think it's just an old sea dog's tale than to know the truth. We know it's true, and that's all that matters. As far as Jason goes, I wonder how he is?" Willie paused. "I'm sure he's alright wherever he is. Hard tellin' what all he's up to now. Anyway, let's raise a glass to him."

Roxanne poured a sip of sherry into two glasses and they raised them high. "To Cap'n Clarney, and to Christmas!"


End file.
